Barbara Broadwell is a mixed media sculptor whose primary media is clay.  Barbara knew what she wanted to be from childhood and when asked her constant response was, “ an artist”.   Barbara is also a mixed media two-dimensional artist; her work is often a complex layering of varied imagery that she draws on the surface of.   She has a BFA in Sculpture from Sonoma State University and an MFA in ceramics from San Diego State University.

Born and raised in Great Falls Montana, Barbara’s formative years were enriched by many outdoor activities, such as camping and hiking, in the Rocky Mountains.  As a young adult she served in the Armed Forces as a Army nurse which enabled her to travel and live all over the United States. Barbara has taught drawing, foundation design and ceramics at San Diego State University, Southwestern College, Metropolitan State College of Denver and is currently teaching at the University of Central Oklahoma.

This varied mixture of life experiences is the nectar that feeds the imagery for her drawings and sculpture.  Barbara uses clay as her primary sculptural medium and supplements it with a variety of mixed media. The twisting of the human frame and the juxtaposition of rusted metal next to clay articulates the corrosion of the soul and mind. The combination of varied materials, especially found objects, carry a history that is essential to her work. The weathered metals and wood bear the marks of age, time and events, as do the psyche.  Barbara also believes the use of such varied materials echoes the many facets of the human condition, which is the core of what her work is concerned with. Barbara’s work in sculpture and drawing has been exhibited and collected on the international, national and local levels.  She is the recipient of numerous awards.

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